"Auntie, your condition is just a case of high blood sugar leading to a general lack of strength, limb fatigue, thirst, and hunger. How about I give you an acupuncture treatment?" Bai Xiao was trying to use his own methods to earn the patient’s trust.
This hospital was not like the one run by Dean Zhang, where he could expect preferential treatment. His reputation here had to be earned by himself. Of course, there are also many military personnel, but those who come here for sprains and injuries are not accustomed to seeing a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In the Surgery department, there’s a doctor who specialises in treating such injuries and is said to work wonders. The latest medicine he developed is said to have relieved many patients’ pain. Because of his high patient approval rating, our TCM department’s only slight advantage has vanished.
Those who come to seek treatment now are mostly farmers from remote mountainous areas or people from ethnic minorities who believe that herbal medicine can cure all diseases.
"No need, doctor. Just prescribe me some medicine; that’ll be fine."
The old lady was somewhat dissatisfied. Why bother with acupuncture when she was feeling just fine?
She knew she wasn’t feeling well, but didn’t the doctor prescribe her some medicine last time?
After taking it, she felt quite good.
Why would he suggest acupuncture right from the start this time?
Acupuncture and the like are for those who are truly desperate, aren’t they?
"Madam, acupuncture could greatly alleviate the issues. Really, please give it a try?" Bai Xiao urged earnestly.
Thumping the table forcefully, the old lady exclaimed, "Doctor, do you even know how to treat patients? I don’t want acupuncture; I just want medicine."
Bai Xiao fell silent, "I’m sorry! Please go see the doctor over there. This is your number!" Bai Xiao was ashamed of himself.
His words sounded awkward.
The old lady was furious, "Are you, young doctor, playing games with me? If you can’t treat patients, you should have said so earlier! What a waste of time. I knew you couldn’t be reliable at such a young age. Look at this, you haven’t even learned how to prescribe medicine. How can they let someone like you treat people? Isn’t this deceiving folks?" The old lady was hot-tempered and began to grumble and fuss.
The surrounding patients watched in silence; many glanced at Bai Xiao and quietly removed their medical records and numbers from in front of Bai Xiao, placing them instead on the desk in front of Li Xiangqian.
Bai Xiao remained composed; what else could he do if the patients wanted prescriptions, a skill he didn’t possess?
Li Xiangqian hurried over and helped the old lady to his desk, "Madam, let me take a look at you. Doctor Bai does prescribe medicine, it’s just that he’s more skilled in acupuncture treatment, which is different from my approach."
Li Xiangqian was still protecting his own, trying hard to explain.
"Just because you’re skilled in acupuncture doesn’t mean you should give everyone a needle, right? I’m already of such an old age, and now I have to endure a needle? Acupuncture is not for fun, you know. I’ve heard of a strong man in the next village over who had a sprained back. The TCM doctor insisted on acupuncture, and after one needle, well, that was the end of him. Acupuncture is just nonsense; I won’t be fooled."
The people around distanced themselves from Bai Xiao even more.
......
Jin Junshan had already been rushed into the operating room. Without needing to say it, the surgeons quickly diagnosed him with acute appendicitis—an unmistakable condition—and he was soon stripped and laid on the operating table.
Sweating profusely, Jin Junshan suddenly remembered something else, causing him to sweat even more.
The nurse trying to calm him thought Jin Junshan was scared, "Director Jin, rest assured, our hospital has performed many such surgeries, we’re very experienced, nothing will go wrong! Besides, the Head of Surgery is operating on you, our number one surgeon. Even among the whole province’s surgical departments, he’s ranked first."